Marsh turns to natural remedy to lift Test hopes

CRICKET: Mitchell Marsh says he will continue to play his natural game as he attempts to earn a Test recall for Australia.

Marsh, who has passed 50 just twice in his 19 Test appearances and averages 23.18 in the five-day game, said coach Darren Lehmann had encouraged him to stay with what he knows best and the West Australian all-rounder says that will definitely be a focus.

"When you're not scoring runs, you tend to try playing with things in the nets to try and make something work,” he said.

"I think in red-ball cricket, over the last couple of years, I probably haven't played my natural game.

"For me, I'm a hitter of the cricket ball.

"Probably over the next few months, I'm just going to bat like that and really back myself.

"I might get out a few ugly ways at times but I feel like it's going to give me the best chance to score runs and score big runs.”

Marsh said he was not sure how he could replicate his one-day form in the longer version of the game.

The 25-year-old smashed an unbeaten 76 off 40 balls as Australia regained the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with an emphatic win over New Zealand in Canberra on Tuesday night.

He now averages 38.68 in ODIs but was unsure why there was such a difference between his ODI form and Test performances.

"If I knew, I probably wouldn't have been dropped from the Test team,” he joked.

"That's probably something I've got to work out over the next few months.

"I've obviously got the Big Bash but throughout that period, you've got a lot of time to work on your game so I'll certainly be doing that.

"Hopefully in the second half of the year when I get a chance in the (Sheffield) Shield, I can perform.

"I'm not in a rush to get back in the Test side but I know that I've got to score runs to get back, so that's all I want to do.”

With an eye on the three-match Test series against Pakistan, which begins next week in Brisbane, selectors are likely to be tempted to rest one or both of Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc for Fridays's final ODI against the Kiwis at the MCG.

Despite the likelihood of a changed team, however, Marsh said there would be no let-up.

"We're representing our country in the series and we want to win 3-0,” he said.